PHILADELPHIA >> The shot banked off the backboard and dropped into the basket, Jordan Clarkson’s game-winning layup in the Lakers’ 113-111 overtime victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday at Wells Fargo Center becoming the de...

PHILADELPHIA >> The smile flashed across Wayne Ellington’s face. The Lakers guard had just navigated out of a double team by throwing a crisp pass to Lakers rookie Jordan Clarkson as he cut baseline for an open layup. That play sec...

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Clippers

J.J. Redick of the Los Angeles Clippers has likely never been the biggest worry for any opponent, not with the likes of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin around. But that may be changing. Redick on Sunday had yet another terrific game, scoring 27 points on 11 of 15 shooting - 5 of 6 from 3-point range in a 119-106 victory at Boston. It was the seventh consecutive victory for the Clippers (49-25). Redick is averaging

Clippers

Coach Doc Rivers’ Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night clinched a playoff spot for a franchise-record fourth consecutive season with a 119-98 victory at Philadelphia. A reporter wanted to know from Rivers what in his mind would be a real accomplishment for his team. Would it be a trip to the Western Conference finals for the first time in club history? Or...

NBA basketball

OKLAHOMA CITY — Reigning MVP Kevin Durant will have bone graft surgery next week to deal with a fractured bone in his right foot, and he will miss the rest of the season, the Oklahoma City Thunder announced Friday. Durant had surgery on a broken bone in his right foot in October. He had been healing well, but in late February, he had a procedure to replace a screw that was rubbing up against another bone and causing discomfort. At the time, the Thunder expected him to be...

By Cliff Brunt
The Associated Press
|4 days ago

Sports

MINNEAPOLIS – The possibility still haunts and intrigues Minnesota coach Flip Saunders 19 years later. What would have happened had the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Kobe Bryant fifth overall in the 1996 NBA Draft? That would have paired Bryant along with Kevin Garnett, two high school phenoms...

Lakers

OKLAHOMA CITY >> His arrival in Los Angeles three years ago once set off fireworks, the latest sign that the Lakers could return to championship glory by landing another superstar. But after frustrating the Lakers as a member of the Phoenix Suns, Steve Nash never provided a stunning sequel to “Showtime” with his nifty passes that earned him two NBA MVP awards. Instead, Nash played only 65 games through two seasons and missed the entire 2014-15 campaign amid...

Lakers

OKLAHOMA CITY >> The Lakers’ leader once stood on the sideline crossing his arms with a stern look. Byron Scott also offered honest evaluations on his players publicly. The Lakers’ new man in charge stood on the sideline calmly offering instructions. Paul Pressey also often spoke in clichés and praised his players’ effort. No matter the different coaching approaches, the familiar storyline still sounded the same. The Lakers’ 127-117 loss to...

Lakers

He will carve up any defense that stands in his way, no matter how many people that represents. He will score at a prolific rate, leading many to admire his greatness while also questioning whether that disrupts team play. He will fulfill all these amazing feats with a scowl on his face. Sounds like another day for Kobe Bryant...

Lakers

Following his season-high 29 points against Philadelphia on Sunday, Jeremy Lin will return to the Lakers’ starting lineup Tuesday after being demoted in December. Coach Byron Scott announced the decision following practice Monday, saying he had been considering it the past few weeks given Lin’s performances, including four games of scoring 20 or more points. “It had nothing to do with last night, but last night obviously made it a little bit easier to throw...

Clippers

Sunday’s game between the Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans featured teams thinking about the upcoming playoffs. The Clippers are almost a lock to make them but are looking to move up in the conference standings. The Pelicans are trying to make the postseason, period. The Clippers began the day just percentage points behind idle fourth-place Portland (44-24) in the West. New Orleans was in ninth, two games behind eighth-place Oklahoma City. Thanks in large part to Blake...

Clippers

Blake Griffin of the Clippers has shown no reluctance to get in the paint after missing 15 consecutive games with a staph infection in his right elbow. He might even be going in there more since his return a week ago Sunday. His rebound numbers attest to that as he was averaging 9.5 in the four games he had played before Sunday’s 107-100 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans; he was averaging 7.7 on the...